San Diego Land Use and Housing Committee Meeting - July 30, 2020
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San Diego Land Use and Housing Committee Meeting - July 30, 2020
The Land Use and Housing Committee of the San Diego City Council met on July 30, 2020, via teleconference in accordance with Executive Order 2920 (suspending certain Brown Act requirements) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee considered three main items: a proposed pet-friendly housing ordinance, amendments to single-room occupancy (SRO) hotel regulations, and a lease agreement for Horton Plaza Park. The meeting included public comments, staff presentations, and committee votes. Members present: Councilmember Ward (Chair), Councilmember Sherman, Councilmember Campbell, and Councilmember Kercy (via teleconference). The committee approved committee actions for the June 24, 2020 special meeting, and moved non-agenda public comment to the end.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the committee actions for the special meeting of June 24, 2020, unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 1 – Pet-Friendly Housing Ordinance: 17 public callers spoke. Most expressed strong support, citing personal stories of housing difficulties with pets, the importance of pets as family members, and the impact on shelter surrenders. A few opposed, including Molly Kirkland from the Southern California Rental Housing Association (representing landlords), who cited liability, insurance, and damage concerns; and Jean Froning, a Mission Beach apartment owner, who cited past negative experiences.
- Item 2 – SRO Regulations: Public comment was limited (3 callers). Joe Lakava supported the proposal but expressed concern about allowing replacement outside the community and potential loss of SROs before adoption. Marshall Anderson (Downtown San Diego Partnership) supported the effort and encouraged economic evaluation. Martha Welch expressed distrust in the city's handling of housing. Joy Sanyata thanked the Housing Commission and asked for clarification on relocation amounts.
- Item 3 – Horton Plaza Park Lease: Public comment was limited (2 effective callers). Marshall Anderson (Downtown San Diego Partnership) supported the item. Martha Welch gave brief, somewhat unclear remarks.
- Non-Agenda Public Comment: Several callers spoke against changes to the municipal code regarding marijuana businesses, specifically a measure reducing the distance between marijuana businesses and homes to 100 feet, arguing it negatively affects children and vulnerable populations. Joy Sanyata raised a procedural question about late agenda updates.
Discussion Items
- 1. Proposed Pet-Friendly Housing Ordinance (Item 1): Councilmember Ward presented a proposal to permit pets in rental housing, aiming to eliminate or cap pet rent, address breed/weight restrictions, and require good pet policies. The motion was initially to direct the City Attorney to draft an ordinance. Councilmembers Sherman and Campbell expressed strong opposition, citing landlord costs, insurance issues, and allergy concerns. Councilmember Kercy was on the fence but voted no, preferring to wait until after the pandemic. Councilmember Ward amended the motion to limit the scope to affordable housing and to conduct further study, directing staff to return with data. The amended motion passed unanimously.
- 2. Amendments to SRO Hotel Regulations (Item 2): The San Diego Housing Commission (presented by Sikhet Thayal and Wendy DeWitt) proposed amendments to strengthen SRO preservation regulations, including administrative determinations, updated relocation assistance (proposed $6,330 or 3x rent, whichever is higher, plus $2,000 for special needs tenants, adjusted annually by CPI), and various preservation incentives (e.g., rent covenants at 60% AMI, conversion of up to 20% of units, right of first offer for nonprofits, and use as receiver sites). Councilmembers provided feedback: Sherman requested analysis on a 50% conversion option and CPI adjustments; Campbell expressed concerns about relocation outside the community and the in-lieu fee; Kercy raised concerns about conversion incentives and the 1990 threshold. The item was informational, and no formal action was taken; staff will conduct stakeholder meetings and return to committee.
- 3. Horton Plaza Park Lease and Second Implementation Agreement (Item 3): Christina Bibler (Economic Development) presented the proposed ground lease with Stockdale for the redevelopment and operation of Horton Plaza Park substitute. The lease includes a 24-month redevelopment period, a 40-year term (with two 10-year extensions), a rent structure where revenues offset operating expenses and then split 50/50, and a rent credit based on the developer's investment. Councilmember Campbell expressed concerns about the lack of fixed rent amounts and voted no. Councilmember Sherman moved to approve, seconded by Councilmember Kercy, and the item passed 3-1.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1: Motion amended to focus on affordable housing and further study, directed staff to return with data; passed unanimously.
- Item 2: No formal action; staff will incorporate comments and return after stakeholder engagement.
- Item 3: Motion to forward to City Council passed 3-1 (Campbell dissenting), council members expressed intent to review the appraisal.
- Non-agenda public comments noted; no action taken.
Meeting Transcript
Hear me understand. I can get enough. Will you tell me? When we look. When there's a fire. Don't be afraid to say I'm beat you. There's a fire for the plane, baby. Don't be afraid to say I mean. Laughing but the jokes not funny at all. And it took you five whole minutes. I'll be presenting on it one. Okay. If you can meet your phone, the meeting will get started here pretty soon. Hi, who joined the call? Marker. Great, thank you. We're gonna get started here. Okay, uh good afternoon. I want to welcome you to the special July 30th Land Use and Housing Committee per Executive Order 2920, which suspends certain requirements of the Brown Act. Some of the council members will be participating via teleconference, and no members of the public will be in attendance at the meetings in the interest of public health and safety. In addition, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and the committee liaison has made arrangements for the public to comment by phone and electronically. We appreciate the public's cooperation. I will now call the land use and housing committee of Thursday, July 30th to order. We have a few members of the committee and staff calling via teleconference. For purposes of the roll call, those on teleconference include Councilmember Campbell and Councilmember Kercy. Each council member will be watching the meeting from the remote location via City TV, and they are live on our teleconference over the committee room where they will participate in this meeting remotely. Those council members present in the committee room are Councilmember Shoreman and myself. Also present in chambers are Gillian Cassie from the IB Independent Budget Analysts Office. And on the teleconference line, I believe we have Conrad Weir from the Mayor's Office and Senior Chief Deputy City Attorney Leslie Fitzgerald. I'll turn it over to the committee consultant for a little more uh background. Thank you. The public may call in following the instructions posted on the agenda by calling 619-541-6310 and entering conference ID 877-861 hashtag to be placed in the queue for public comment. You should do this when the item you wish to speak to is introduced. Please do not call in prior to that time. Our consultant to the committee will announce when the public comment period is open for an item. That's me. And a slide will go up on City TV. When the phone queue is empty, the public comment period will be closed. The same process will be used for each agendized item. When you're in the queue, you will be able to hear the meeting and all the others that are providing comment. You will know that it is your turn to speak when you hear the system prompt saying your phone has been unmuted. When you hear the prompt, immediately state your name and make your comment. Then hang up. Each speaker will have one minute. Also, please meet the volume on your TV or computer before you begin to speak. If you call in during a non-comment period, your call will not be taken. Please monitor the meeting and ensure you're calling at the appropriate time. The public may view the meetings on public television on City TV Channel 24 for Cox Communication and Time Warner Cable or Channel 99 for ATT, or view the meeting online by going to the City Council Committee's homepage at San Diego.gov and selecting the City TV Live Webcast blue button on the right-hand side of the page. Thank you. A quorum is now present, and we'll begin with the approval of committee actions for the special meeting of June 24th, 2020.
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